From its discovery on Sulfur Mountain in 1861, oil has been a major part of the Ventura County economy. However, scientists warn that 80% of fossil fuels must stay in the ground and the Pentagon warns that dependence on fossil fuels is the greatest long­‐term national security threat confronting the U.S. Gov. Brown now aims for 50% renewable energy sources by 2030. Local governments and the Naval Bases are transitioning away from fossil fuels with the creation of green jobs and a more sustainable economy.

How can families and businesses make faster progress on this path? Join a panel discussion with Community Environmental Council, Ventura County emPower, the Ventura County Climate Hub and solar industry representatives. We’ll explore energy efficiency and power generation for homes and businesses. Learn about the latest trends and opportunities for increasing renewables and local power generation through new community choice clean energy programs in California.

This meeting will be held at Bell Arts Factory instead of at the library because the library is having a major event, Foster Con 2015, the weekend of February 28/March 1.

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will hold its 14th Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future with Helen Caldicott speaking on “Preserving the Future.” Dr. Caldicott, named by the Smithsonian as one of the most influential women of the 20th century, is a prominent and influential speaker on nuclear weapons and the fate of the Earth. She has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Linus Pauling, himself a two-time Nobel Laureate.

The Kelly Lecture Series annually presents a distinguished individual who speaks on exploring humanity’s present circumstances and ways by which we can shape a more promising future for our planet and its inhabitants.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

7:30 p.m.

Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara

Tickets start at $10 and are available at the Lobero Theatre box office online or by phone at (805) 963-0761.

On February 3, 2015, the U.S. Federal District Court granted the U.S. government’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the Marshall Islands. The lawsuit sought to hold the U.S. to its legal obligations to pursue negotiations in good faith for an end to the nuclear arms race and for nuclear disarmament. See: http://www.c-p-r.net/2014/05/david-vs-goliath-the-nuclear-zero-lawsuits/

The Court dismissed the case on the jurisdictional grounds of standing and political question doctrine without getting to the merits of the case. On February 6, 2015, the U.S. Embassy in Majuro issued a statement welcoming the Court’s decision. On February 23, 2015, Foreign Minister Tony de Brum, of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), delivered a speech to the RMI parliament in which he explained some of the key issues in the ruling and also responded to the U.S. Embassy’s statement.

De Brum made it clear that the RMI was disappointed by the Court’s decision and plans to appeal it to a higher court. He stated, “Nuclear weapons are not our friend, nor the friend of the U.S. or any other country. Rather, these weapons are the enemy of all humankind. That is why we will stand up for what we believe in, and we will be appealing the Court’s dismissal of the lawsuit to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the next step in the American judicial process.”

Read this article from Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in its entirety here.

Humanity and the planet is now just three minutes from midnight when it comes to nuclear disaster and climate disruption. We must act. (Image: thebulletin.org)

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has just announced its latest nuclear Doomsday Clock moving ahead the minute hand to three minutes till midnight. The clock represents the count down to zero in minutes to nuclear apocalypse - midnight. This significant move of TWO minutes is the 22nd time since its inception in 1947 that the time has been changed.
In moving the hand to 3 minutes to midnight, Kennette Benedict the Executive Director of the Bulletin identified in his comments: "the probability of global catastrophe is very high"... "the choice is ours and the clock is ticking"..."we feel the need to warn the world" ..."the decision was based on a very strong feeling of urgency". He spoke to the dangers of both nuclear weapons and climate change saying, "they are both very difficult and we are ignoring them" and emphasized "this is about doomsday, this is about the end of civilization as we know it". The Clock has ranged from 2 minutes to midnight at the height of the Cold War to 17 minutes till midnight with the hopes that followed the end of the Cold War. The decision to move the minute hand is made by the Bulletin's Board of Directors in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes 18 Nobel Laureates.
What is clear is that the time to ban nuclear weapons is now. Today’s announcement by the Bulletin further corroborates the dangers confirmed by recent climate science. These studies identify the much greater dangers posed by even a small regional nuclear war using just 100 Hiroshima size bombs out of the 16,300 weapons in today’s global stockpiles. The ensuing dramatic climate changes and famine that would follow threaten the lives of up to 2 billion on the planet with effects that would last beyond 10 years. There is no escaping the global impact of such a small regional nuclear war.

The two main goals of the VC Climate Hub are to facilitate connection and collaboration between climate action and environmental organizations (clearinghouse role) and to further the climate action cause by transitioning to renewable energy (& getting off fossil fuels), localizing the food system and building community.

They have been supporting three conservation groups who filed an appeal to stop the reopening of an abandoned oil field near the town of Piru. On Dec. 22, CFROG, Los Padres Forest Watch and the Center for Biological Diversity announced that the Modelo Canyon oilfield proposal near Piru has been withdrawn!